RESIDENTS living near the site of a proposed Midland eco town are furious that local councillors have delayed coming out officially against the project.

Last month Government officials announced a site in Middle Quinton, near Long Marston, Warwickshire was on the shortlist for one of the new towns.

Opposition has been fierce and Coun Izzi Seccombe (Con, Ettington) tabled a motion that the eco town be debated at a meeting of Stratford-upon-Avon District Council yesterday.

But the council decided to defer the debate for two weeks - crucially after the local elections.

Members of the BARD campaign group were furious at the delay and called for councillors to "stop dithering".

Roger Harrison from BARD said: "I hope the council will vote against this, once and for all.

"They’ve decided to put off discussing this until May 12 but they better not think of deferring it again or there will be a riot.

"They need to come out with a clear decision and just stop dithering. If they can’t make a decision like this, which is so important, then it is absolutely awful."

Coun Seccombe was also disappointed at the council’s decision.

Speaking after the meeting she said: "I made the proposal because I could see that none was forthcoming.

"It is extremely disappointing that within this very tight timetable that the Government has given us we are not yet able to debate it.

"We only have until June 30 to have our say." Council leader Coun Les Topham (Con, Stratford Alveston) said the delay was necessary for council officers to gather more information.

"I don’t think any of us want to see a large town dumped on our doorsteps, but do you really want a council that makes decisions in a rush?

"We do not want to be called NIMBYs - and it is only a strong council that would say that they wanted to make decisions based on facts and strong reason." Long Marston is one of 15 sites on the Governments shortlist which will be trimmed to ten later this year.